Anyone worried that Elena Kagan is some kind of extreme liberal zealot can take comfort in the mini love-fest for the conservative Washington power-lawyer Miguel Estrada that broke out during her confirmation hearings this afternoon.
Estrada, part of the legal team that won George W. Bush the White House in the landmark Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore, was nominated by Bush in 2001 to become a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. But after a two-year filibuster by Senate Democrats, he bowed out.
Despite their contrasting politics, Kagan and Estrada are friends. They met as students at Harvard Law, where they sat next to each other in every class during their first year. In response to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham this afternoon about her relationship with Estrada, Kagan quipped that her friend took “extraordinary notes” during class, which was helpful if she missed anything.
In May, Estrada wrote a letter to senators in support of Kagan’s confirmation. Graham read from it and then asked Kagan if she felt the same way about Estrada. Her response was enthusiastic: “He’s qualified to sit as an appellate judge,” she said. “He’s qualified to sit as a Supreme Court justice.”
Graham declared that Kagan’s “stock just went way up with me.”
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 as a staff writer, and became a senior editor in 2014. She oversees the magazine’s real estate and home design coverage, and writes long-form feature stories. She was a 2020 Livingston Award finalist for her two-part investigation into a possible wrongful conviction stemming from a murder in rural Virginia. Kashino lives in Northeast DC.
Everybody Loves Miguel
Elena Kagan may be clashing with some senators, but they can agree on the conservative power-lawyer Miguel Estrada
Anyone worried that Elena Kagan is some kind of extreme liberal zealot can take comfort in the mini love-fest for the conservative Washington power-lawyer Miguel Estrada that broke out during her confirmation hearings this afternoon.
Estrada, part of the legal team that won George W. Bush the White House in the landmark Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore, was nominated by Bush in 2001 to become a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. But after a two-year filibuster by Senate Democrats, he bowed out.
Despite their contrasting politics, Kagan and Estrada are friends. They met as students at Harvard Law, where they sat next to each other in every class during their first year. In response to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham this afternoon about her relationship with Estrada, Kagan quipped that her friend took “extraordinary notes” during class, which was helpful if she missed anything.
In May, Estrada wrote a letter to senators in support of Kagan’s confirmation. Graham read from it and then asked Kagan if she felt the same way about Estrada. Her response was enthusiastic: “He’s qualified to sit as an appellate judge,” she said. “He’s qualified to sit as a Supreme Court justice.”
Graham declared that Kagan’s “stock just went way up with me.”
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 as a staff writer, and became a senior editor in 2014. She oversees the magazine’s real estate and home design coverage, and writes long-form feature stories. She was a 2020 Livingston Award finalist for her two-part investigation into a possible wrongful conviction stemming from a murder in rural Virginia. Kashino lives in Northeast DC.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Cicadas Are the Next Plague That Will Keep You Indoors
Capitol Riot Suspect Arrested in DC Airport After Bizarre Series of Events
Check Out NBC’s Lavish New DC News Bureau
Here’s Why the Washington Monument’s Lights Went Out Sunday Night
Jeni Stepanek’s Last Heartsong
Washingtonian Magazine
January 2021: Joe Town!
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
Videos from Washingtonian’s Wellness Day
Washingtonian Wellness Day
More from News & Politics
Newsmax Pulls Sean Spicer’s Application to the White House Correspondents’ Association
Here’s Why the Washington Monument’s Lights Went Out Sunday Night
If Joe Biden Wants to Unify the Nation, Why Did He Get a Toasted Bagel?
Cicadas Are the Next Plague That Will Keep You Indoors
They’re Here: First Pups Major and Champ Biden Have Moved Into the White House
Check Out NBC’s Lavish New DC News Bureau
DC’s International Spy Museum Will Reopen This Weekend
Capitol Riot Suspect Arrested in DC Airport After Bizarre Series of Events